Cherokee Sage Woman

I am firmly convinced that sometimes the largest changes comes in the smallest of incidents. Maybe it's in the proverbial 'the-straw-that-broke-the-camel's-back' or just a happenstance that puts you in the right place at the right time, to step out & speak your piece.
All of my life, I was taught to be seen & not heard. To respect the opinions of others before my own. To be tolerant of people &/or events that might not be to my liking, because after all.. it wasn't MY liking that mattered anyway.
The religion I was raised in, began at a tender age to teach that we were lower than worms/ that we came begging to the throne of grace.. unworthy.. full of original sin (damn you Eve)/ that it took someone dying for us, to even give us 1/2 a shot of redemption. And even that 'salvation' could be lost on any given Saturday nite, should you have a little lust in your loins.
I married a preacher's son at 15, which continued that conditioning that I had nothing of value to say/to think/to do/ or to add to any situation. I was a childbearing chattel (& got in frequent trouble for bearing all those children!)
Now, fast forward to mid-30's & I'm starting to grow up a little here. Starting to ask questions/ seek creative answers/ seek enlightenment/ search other avenues.
Fast forward to mid-50's (don't you love time travel?) and I feel rather adult about most areas of my life. But for some reason, it's still not easy for me to 'confront' when a situation calls for it.
All of this verbage to say this.. today I confronted! We had some new mattresses delivered, & the delivery guy didn't want to take my old ones away. Everyone knows it's common courtesy for such a thing to happen. He just didn't want to do the extra hauling away. He said, 'I can't do it. They can't be resold'.
I say, 'I'm not asking you to resell them, I'm telling you that I was told you would dispose of them'.
He said, 'I'll put them in your garage. I can't take them.'
I say, 'That's not acceptable. Call your boss.'
He calls his boss & grouses, grumbles & complains. Now here's where I would've backed down in a former-life. I wouldn't want to put anyone out or make them look bad. I would end up renting a UHaul, & doing it all myself (or worse, have Dan do it)
But I held my tongue & just listened to the whine in the background.
And what do you know, the little man hauled away the old mattresses.. just as I had been promised.
Small victories on a personal level. It may have meant nothing but an added pain in the ass to him, but to me it spoke, 'I am woman, hear me roar!
Haul that mattress, now close the door.'
hehehe (a little power goes a long ways)